Is the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the mainstay of the international monetary system? Or is it an insignificant sideshow? Might its actions, or its very existence, even be harmful? The fortieth anniversary of the Bretton Woods Agreement, which was signed by 44 states on 22 July 1944, affords an opportunity to assess the activities of the Fund and to outline its possible contribution to coping with future tasks in the world economy.